It is somewhat remarkable that just one year after signing a record-setting $325 million contract and helping pitch the Dodgers to a World Series title, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is flying under the radar. With Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal dueling for the “Best Pitcher in Baseball” crown and breakout arms like Garrett Crochet and Cristopher Sánchez commanding national attention, Yamamoto’s dominance has been quieter — but no less vital for Los Angeles.
On Sunday in San Diego, Yamamoto once again delivered. He lasted six innings against the Padres, striking out six and allowing only two runs on four hits. The Dodgers broke through late for an 8–2 win, powered by home runs from Freddie Freeman (two), Shohei Ohtani, and rookie Dalton Rushing, but it was Yamamoto who steadied them when they needed it most.
Manager Dave Roberts didn’t mince words when praising his ace afterward.
“He is very mentally tough. Yama is a killer. He’s a killer. He shows up in big games. We needed another good one from him, and he delivered,” Roberts said, via Dodger Blue.
Elite by Every Measure
Vote For Your Favorite Dodgers Duo: Ohtani – Yamamoto, Betts – Freeman, Hernandez – Hernandez
The numbers bear out what Roberts and teammates have come to expect. As Mike Axisa of CBS Sports pointed out, Yamamoto has been elite across the board:
- 12th in ERA (2.90)
- 10th in FIP (3.17)
- 4th in expected ERA (2.78)
- 10th in strikeout rate (27.9%)
- 8th in ground ball rate (52.8%)
- 2nd in barrel rate allowed (5.6%)
He’s excellent at missing bats, excellent at keeping the ball on the ground, and excellent at limiting hard contact. Even with Dodgers catchers grading poorly in pitch-framing metrics, Yamamoto ranks 16th among qualified starters in called-strike rate. If there’s a measure of pitching skill within a pitcher’s control, Yamamoto excels at it.
Carrying a Short-Handed Team
That consistency has been crucial for a Dodgers team battling through a wave of injuries. Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, and Hyeseong Kim are all working back from the injured list, while the rotation has been thinned by setbacks throughout the summer. Yamamoto doesn’t pitch especially deep into games — in part due to the Dodgers’ preference for extra rest — but every time he takes the ball, he gives them a chance to win.
Sunday’s victory was his 11th of the season, keeping Los Angeles tied with San Diego atop the NL West at 74–57. Without Yamamoto’s steadiness, that picture might look much different.
More Than Just a Big Contract
Dodgers fatigue is real — outside of Los Angeles, few are eager to heap more praise on a perennial powerhouse, and Yamamoto will never be the most famous Japanese-born player on his own roster. But the production speaks for itself. On a rate basis, Yamamoto has been a top-10 starter in baseball in 2025, and one of the five or six best in the National League.
He may not wrestle the Cy Young away from Skenes, but down-ballot votes — for Cy Young and maybe even MVP — are deserved. More importantly for the Dodgers, Yamamoto has become exactly what they envisioned when they signed him: a postseason ace, a steadying force, and the kind of pitcher who can carry them through stretches when the roster is stretched thin.